OCEAN CITY- With the drama of the high dollar, high profile White Marlin Open subsided, the resort area’s lady anglers get their turn in the spotlight this weekend with the return of the Poor Girl’s Open for the 24th year.
The Poor Girl’s Open, which typically falls on the weekend after the White Marlin Open, was founded in 1994 by the late Captain Steve Harman and his wife Pam to provide a ladies-only fishing event with the proceeds donated to a local charity. In recent years, the American Cancer Society has been the recipient of choice in conjunction with other “pink ribbon” events held in and around the resort all year long.
In the last few years, the Poor Girl’s Open has raised well over $100,000 for the American Cancer Society’s breast cancer research and awareness programs. In addition to the fishing, the event includes silent auctions, 50-50 raffles, T-shirt sales and other events, all at tournament headquarters at Bahia Marina in Ocean City.
Despite its charitable overtones, the tournament is all about the fishing and the dozens of boats and hundreds of competitors take it very seriously. The tournament is a catch-and-release event with points awarded for billfish releases. There are also added entry levels for tuna and dolphin with potential winning fish weighed each day of the tournament at host Bahia Marina. Teams of lady anglers must choose to fish one of the three officials fishing days, next Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
Last year, a record 160 boats participated, including 756 lady anglers. In recent years, the American Cancer Society has been the recipient of choice in conjunction with other “pink ribbon” events held in and around the resort area all year long. At the awards ceremony last week, host Bahia Marina, presented a check for $100,000 to the ACS at the tournament’s award ceremony. In addition to the fishing, the event includes silent auctions, 50-50 raffles, T-shirt sales and other events all hosted at Bahia Marina.
While the fundraising and camaraderie generally takes center stage, the tournament is all about fishing and the dozens of boats and hundreds of competitors take it very seriously. Last year, angler Heather Warren on the “Maverick” took first place in the dolphin division with a 38-pounder worth $11,952. Angler Danielle Doetsch on the “Rhonda’s Osprey” took second in the dolphin division and was awarded $6,277, while angler Liz Newell on the “M.R. Ducks” took third in the division and was awarded $4,185.
In the tuna division, it was angler Karen Peet on the “No Quarter” taking first place with a 200-pounder worth $10,477. Jessica McKeldin on the “No Limits” took second with a 191-pounder worth $5,386, while Marsha Hora, also on the “No Limits,” took third and earned $3,591.
